Choosing Purgatory
by lady tecuma
Summary: AE alternate ending sequel to Angel's Death. Final Chapter: Memories of an angel haunt those who grieve for her, the past behind enemies is revealed, and lovers are reunited...
1. Grief

**AN: Okay, okay, I know I promised you the Albedo chapter of _Trinity_, and it is on the way, I assure you.**

**But looking back over _Angel's Death_, I remembered a little something I learned from the _Xenosaga_ cellphone game in Japan (it's called _Pied Piper_, but we can only dream about it coming over to the US), about our favorite Vector C.E.O. and his minions. I realized that I could do an alternate ending based on that info, and thinking it over...let's just say it really _could_ happen.**

**If you've already read _Angel's Death_, then you already know about the spoiler warning for Episode II, and in this fic, watch out for spoiler warnings for _Pied Piper_ (but since we're probably never going to get it, it should be okay). **

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**Chapter One:** **Grief**

The sounds of Wagner drifted softly through the office, the ancient music oddly soothing, yet sparking curiosity at the same time to whomever heard it. But this did not matter to Vector's C.E.O., who was currently in his office, his chair turned to admire the view from the massive windows, his slender body leaning back into the chair, his eyes closed. In that position, he looked as if he were sleeping, almost angelic even. As the song ended, his eyes opened.

_This is pleasant; I have not had the time recently to just be to myself. What with having to make sure that the Kukai Foundation and Second Miltia are unhindered by the Federation, and tracking the movements of U-TIC..._A frown appeared on Wilhelm's face as his eyes narrowed. _They have become an unstable factor in this equation, as well as Dimtri. Their very presence puts everything at risk. _Turning back around, he leaned his head against his left hand as his right traced the base of the Compass of Order.

"Computer, restart song." As the opening aria soared through the air from hidden speakers, Wilhelm's fingers continued to move over the priceless relic, and his eyelids started to droop. His breathing became regulated as he fell into sleep's embrace, his head slowly falling to rest on his arm as his fingers stilled.

----

Red-gloved fingers gripped a computer pad firmly as Kevin materialized inside Wilhelm's office.

"Master Wilhelm, I..." He trailed off. "Master?" Wilhelm didn't respond.

_He's sleeping. Well, that shouldn't come as a surprise, but...it's just odd to see him like this._ The red-cloaked man cleared his throat.

_Master Wilhelm?_ Blinking, Wilhelm's eyes opened. As the orange-red orbs came back into focus he sat up, pausing only to rub a hand over his eyes.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I must have dozed off. Have you been waiting long?"

"I only just came in." Kevin answered. "Pardon my disturbance." Wilhelm straightened.

"It's quite alright. Computer, stop music." He ordered. Pushing back a stray lock of white hair, he looked at the red-cloaked man. "What is it?"

"I have the report onthe Hyams Groupas you requested." Kevin gave the pad to Wilhelm. "You were right, Master. They're becoming involved in the search for the Y-Data as well."

"Another variable..." Vector's C.E.O. mused. "Where are Voyager and Virgil?"

"Virgil is with Albedo and Voyager is currently monitoring Margilus' movements." Wilhelm nodded.

"Contact Virgil. Plans must be made to dispose the U-TIC organization as quickly and quietly as possible. They've become too much of an unstable element."

"And Albedo?"

"Leave him for now. Have KOS-MOS..." Wilhelm trailed off, his eyes darting towards the Compass.

"Master?" Kevin queried. The white-haired man didn't respond, his orange-red eyes staring at the Compass intently. "Master Wilhelm?"

_A chill danced up his spinal cord as the dark surrounded him. Ahead of him was a light, glowing brightly, illuminating the blackness. Walking forward the shadows seemed to live, pooling around his legs and feet. Then all of a sudden, it shot forwards towards the light, wrapping dark tentacles around it, smothering it. The light tried to fight back, but the darkness quickly quelled any resistance, crushing it in its coils completely, and he was left once again in total blackness..._

"Master Wilhelm!" Inhaling sharply, Wilhelm pulled out of the trance to find Kevin by his side, his hands gripping his shoulders. "Master Wilhelm, are you alright?!" Gently, Kevin forced the Vector C.E.O. to lean back against the chair, noting how suddenly frail his boss's body had just become.

"Wrong..."

"What?"

"Something's wrong..." Wilhelm whispered. Pushing Kevin's hands aside, he sat forward. "Computer, location of the Kukai Foundation."

_The Kukai Foundation is currently in orbit around Second Mitlia._

"Location of the Durandal."

_The Durandal is currently docked with the Kukai Foundation._

"Master, what did you sense?" Wilhelm didn't say anything but leaned back once again, the strange lethargy that had overcome him earlier threatening to return.

"Go to Voyager and find out the location of Dimitri, quickly." He ordered.

"Of course, but what about you?"

"I will be fine. Hurry." Kevin bowed and disappeared, leaving the slender man alone with his thoughts.

_I dare not voice my suspicions in front of him, as even now he still yearns for her. _Wilhelm knew that Kevin was still in love with Shion, and considered it as one of Kevin's best qualities, as Shion's very existence was crucial to humanity itself. As long as Kevin lived, if KOS-MOS should fail in her directive to protect Shion, there would be another protector for her. But in recent days the danger around and to the Vector employee had increased...her run-in with Voyager as she flew E.S. Dinah towards Milita, Nephilim's insistence of Shion recovering her memories, U-TIC, and the U.R.T.V.s, especially Albedo... His eyes narrowed.

_It is a safe assumption to say that he has discovered Shion's part in the Y-Data and has probably made the logical conclusion. His "father" though, may come to a different answer, and that is what concerns me._ Ever since his encounter with U-DO years ago, Yuriev Dimitri had become a changed man, becoming obsessed with the entity's defeat, to the point where Wilhelm strongly suspected that he was no longer sane. That same insanity could be turned upon Shion if Dimitri ever found out her true abilities... The slender man sighed heavily, his eyes closing.

"Computer, restart song."

----

She pulled herself out of her slumber, something deep within her consciousness pulling at her, saying that something wasn't right. As she left her coffin, the pull got even worse, so much so that she stopped for a moment, running a check on all her systems. Everything was normal...so then why did she feel this way? Turning to the side, she noted that Allen was fast asleep, stretched out on the couch. Calculating that Allen was not the best one suited to handle her problem, she strode towards the exit. Shion would be upset but she would assist...KOS-MOS stopped cold. This feeling...it was concerning Shion!

_Illogical. Shion is safe and sound in her room, fast asleep as how humans are at this hour._ She thought. But something within her was screaming that she use her thermal scanner to check on Shion's location. KOS-MOS pushed the feeling to the side and continued to walk, passing through the door and heading for the train. The something increased in intensity though, growing more powerful with every step...KOS-MOS stopped once again. Perhaps if she obliged this feeling, it would go away. Her pupils narrowing, she tracked the heat signals of each of her friends. Ziggy was in the Infirmary, resting after his tune up done by both Shion and MOMO, chaos and Jr. were currently sleeping in the room they shared...a frown flitted across the android's face. It looked like MOMO was in there as well...sleeping on one bed while Jr. was on the couch. Jin was in the room next to them, and in the adjoining room...

_Error. No heat signature found._ Frowning, KOS-MOS scanned the adjoining room again.

_Error. No heat signature found._ The blue-haired android ran a full systems check on herself before scanning a third time.

_Error. No heat signature found._ The sensation growing stronger, KOS-MOS swiftly got on the train, programming it to head to the Residential Area. Something obviously must be wrong with the climate control in that room, perhaps that was the reason why she couldn't track Shion's heat signature, KOS-MOS told herself. But still, the feeling just wouldn't go away...now it had escalated into a desperate need to hear a pulse, a heartbeat...

_She lay there, paralyzed. All she could do was look up helplessly at the face that loomed over her. The hands that framed her face were warm and gentle, and something within her awoke, telling her that he didn't want to do this. Her lips moved; a plea for him to fight what was controlling him, to think of what he held dear. But it fell on deaf ears, and one hand slid down to hold her left one while the other moved to the back of her neck, his fingers pressing into her nape as her head was lifted slightly. The pressure on her left hand increased as his lips pressed against hers, and a wave of pain blasted through her mind..._

"Shion!" KOS-MOS cried, snapping out of the trance. The emotion she knew as fear but had never experienced was coursing through her body, a colorless enemy that she had no defense against. Knees week, she sagged against the door, her eyes rapidly changing from red to blue. As the train came to a stop, she ran out blindly, her brain having come up with another logical reason for why she could not sense Shion, and it frightened her to the very core of her being.

_nonononoNoNoNoNONONO!!!_ Keening sounds were coming from her throat as she tore through the door and into the darkened bedroom...and then they stopped, as Time itself seemed to freeze....she stood there, but it seemed she was split in two, the organic and the inorganic...the inorganic was calculating, analyzing data, computing variables, times...and arriving at one conclusion. The organic simply stood there, realizing it was too late...realization sinking in, its claws tearing deeply into the soul...

"**_NO!!!_**"

The scream tore chaos out of a sound sleep, his body already up and running, tearing towards the door. Behind him Jr. fell off the couch, cursing violently while MOMO came awake with a shriek of her own.

"What's going on?!" Jr. yelled. Ignoring all this, chaos ran into Shion's room, where the terrible scream had come from.

"Shion! What's...?" His voice trailed off as he saw KOS-MOS on the bed, her fingers clutching her creator's shoulders. Sobs racked the android's frame, and blue sparks came from her hands as she repeatedly cast revival Ether spells on the body lying so still...

"nononomothernonoMotherpleasenoohGodnonoMOTHER!" chaos came from behind, trying to pull her away.

"KOS-MOS, what...what's..." His face paled as he saw Shion, and the powers he had hidden from for so long surfaced, telling him the worst...she was dead. Nothing any of them could do could help her now...her spirit had already left, leaving behind only a shell...

"KOS-MOS...she's gone. You can't do...anything..." At these words, the android sank to her knees, hot tears spilling over her cheeks. The sparks faded, and KOS-MOS's hands fisted in the snow-white sheets before throwing back her head and screaming, the sound torn from her very soul.

"MOTHER!!!!!"

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**Next chapter: An offer is made that cannot be refused...**


	2. Life

**Chapter Two: Life**

Jin's hands shook as he searched through his things. Numb to all but the incredible pain that was tearing through him, he located what he was after, a white kimono with a small blue obi. He had planned to give this to Shion after talking her into a practice sword-fighting match to test her skills....despite what she said, it looked like she had faithfully practiced her jujitsu after she had left him...the smoothness and ease of how she performed in their double-team attack testified to this...

_Shion mentions your name in any context. I think that means she cares for __you. That's what I think it means._

_And then she suffixes it with: "my worthless brother", right?_

Never again would he hear his little sister's voice, see the irritated look in her green eyes that made her look so cute that you just had to continue vexing her so the look would stay...

_**You** got into the First R&D division of Vector?! It seems somebody seriously messed up the paperwork on that one..._

_Shut up, niisan!_ His fingers fisted into the kimono, holding it tightly. He'd been spared this when his parents had died, their bodies still on Miltia...he hadn't needed to make funeral arrangements, select the burial robes...but now it seemed Fate had decided to play a cruel trick, the duties he had been able to avoid with the deaths of his parents he now had to perform for his little sister. Bathe her fragile body and dress her in burial garments, offer prayers and incense for her soul...

Harsh sobbing sounds echoed throughout the room, and Jin realized they were coming from him.

----

chaos stared through the glass window to the form lying on the table, covered by a white sheet. Scans had indicated no trace of poison, nor signs of a struggle, no wounds or anything...Shion had just simply died. KOS-MOS and MOMO were currently sleeping; grief having sapped them of all energy, Jr. had been reviewing the security tapes non-stop in the hopes of finding their friend's killer with Ziggy's assistance, but nothing had come up. Allen had been so distraught that he had to be sedated, and Jin...

Jin, after his initial storm of grief, had spoken only to make one request...that his sister's body be given to him so that he could prepare it for burial. It had been immediately granted, and the elder Japanese man had left the room to start the funeral preparations. And so chaos found himself watching over Shion's body...as if to guard it from predators.

_He would not dare. If he even approaches her soul I will..._ chaos stopped, surprised at the anger welling up in him. But...wasn't it right? To stand up for your friends and not have them be manipulated like puppets on a string? After all...it was what Wilhelm was infamous for, that and the other...thing. He fisted his hands.

_He wouldn't! But..._ Known as the "cloaks" to Shion and the others, but as the "testaments" to him and Wilhelm, chaos knew exactly how those who were once ordinary men had gained such power...

_Had Ziggy not killed himself, I would have already faced him in combat...if he had chosen that route. When Kevin hears of Shion's death, it will most likely drive him insane. Virgil will probably laugh with glee, as he held malice against her...Voyager..._chaos bit his lip, his gentle eyes now cold. Out of all the Testaments, Voyager was the one he mistrusted the most. In fact, after hearing that Shion and Allen had run into him as they flew ES Dinah towards Old Miltia, chaos had to restrain the urge to jump out of his seat, rush over to Shion, and shake her for her recklessness...

chaos's mistrust of Voyager dated back to when Ziggy, then known as Jan Sauer, had been still alive and working with the Galaxy Federation Police 100 years ago. At that time, Ziggy and his team had been assigned to catch the serial killer Voyager. It turned out that Voyager was actually Erich Webber, one of the members of Ziggy's team. On the heels of that though, was the shocking discovery that Voyager had gained his power from U-DO! The entity had promised power if it was brought human souls, and Webber had taken it up on its offer...the last two victims were Ziggy's wife and adopted son.

_And then he only made things worse for the poor man..._ chaos thought. Wilhelm had appeared to Jan, offering him two options. To join his wife and child in death in U-DO's grasp or to have eternal life and great power as a Testament. Ziggy chose neither, killing Voyager and then committing suicide. Wilhelm then appeared to Voyager and offered him the same deal, Voyager accepted. Through the use of Realians equipped with "Canaan", Wilhelm tirelessly searched for humans with "shining wills", a critical element needed for the Testaments. Shortly after this event chaos left, for reasons that he today still did not want to go into great detail. 98 years later, another Testament had been born...Kevin Winnicot, head of the KOS-MOS project. But the odd thing was...Kevin was the only Testament who had acquired his powers in life, not death, and his cloak color had changed from blue to red...Virgil was the blue-cloaked Testament, obtaining his powers after KOS-MOS had killed him...and chaos wouldn't put it past the Vector CEO to revive Shion simply to use her powers.

_I won't let him do that to her!_

_But then you know what will happen if she stays dead...there will be no hope at all._ A voice whispered to him. _Her role has not been fulfilled, it is not her time to die yet..._

_----_

Horror gripped Kevin.

"No..." He shook his head violently. "No!"

"I'm sorry." Wilhelm murmured. "I only just found out now...she died early this morning." The red-cloaked man shook again.

"No...no....no! She's...she's not dead...she's not!"

"She is."

"NO SHE'S NOT!" Kevin roared, lunging forward across the desk, gripping Wilhelm by the lapels. "Don't lie to me!" Electricity arced through his hands, and he fell back in pain as Voyager materialized out of the shadows.

"It's alright." Wilhelm said quickly. _Leave him be, he grieves...he is not himself. _

_They are starting to prepare her body for the funeral. Dimitri is hidden on Second Miltia, he influenced the last U.R.T.V. to kill her._ Wilhelm paused, pondering this. What he had in mind would be very tricky...

----

"Damnit!" Jr. cursed, slamming both fists into the console. Tears burned behind his eyelids, threatening to spill out and over. "There's nothing! Normal people just don't up and die, something killed her, I just know it!"

"Jr." The red-head whirled on Ziggy.

"You don't even care, do you?! That's right, all you care about is yourself! You don't care about anybody else, not even MOMO!" The tears were flowing freely now, and his fists pounded against Ziggy's metal frame. "You don't care...you don't care!" Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, stifling movement, but Jr. still continued to struggle.

"You...you don't care..." Wordless, Ziggy held the sobbing U.R.T.V. He closed his eyes, memories assaulting him.

_You're wrong Jr..._ His eyes opened, narrowing to hold back moisture that had suddenly developed. _I..._

_He backed up, suddenly feeling the wall behind him._

_"Come on Ziggy, you knew this was going to happen."_

_"MOMO, this is not funny." The 100-Series Realian sighed, blinking her golden eyes._

_"Shion, he's not cooperating..." She whined. Shion looked up from the maintenance chair, an unholy gleam in her eyes._

_"Then we just go to plan B." She answered. "Grab him."_

_"Huh? Aaahh!" Ziggy suddenly found himself kissing carpet, small fingers pulling at his clothing. "MOMO, no!"_

_"Take it off!"_

_"No! Leave my clothes alone!" He rolled over, however a squirming bundle of arms, legs, fingers, and giggles followed. "Get off of me!" A pair of brown flats moved into eye-viewing range._

_"You do know you sound like a dirty old man, right?" _

_"Dirty old man!" MOMO screeched gleefully. "Ziggy's a..."_

_"ALRIGHT!" The cyborg bellowed. "I'LL LET SHION CHECK ME OVER! HAPPY?!" He looked up to see Shion smile._

_"Was that so hard?" She asked._

_"You will never know." Ziggy growled, getting up with MOMO underneath one of his arms, giggling wildly. The sound lightened his heart, though he would never admit it. The brunette hid a giggle behind a hand before gesturing towards the maintenance chair._

_"Strip and sit please." She requested. Ziggy stopped cold._

_"Say what?!"_

Ziggy's arms tightened around Jr.

_I...I do care..._

_----_

_She hovered before him, eyes downcast. He could feel that she wanted to believe him, to believe in what he said he could do, but he had been brutally honest, telling her the whole sordid tale concerning Mizarhi, U-TIC, the Original Zohar, the Y-Data...she had been silent, her thoughts digesting the information presented to her. It would not surprise him if she refused his proposal..._

_"It is your choice. If you so desire, I will let you continue into the other world..."_

_"No." The refusal took him aback, surprise showing on his face. "I do not wish to go." Her eyes rose to meet his own. "You need me to live, am I right?" Speechless, probably for the first time in his life, Wilhelm nodded. "What would happen to me if I..."_

_"You will be in service to me, but only for a time. Right now the situation requires that you should be dead, in order to lessen the danger to you." Reading her mind, he continued. "She will know that her mother is alive..." At this, her head jerked up sharply to meet his, tears in her eyes, and he saw her answer._

_----_

Kevin stood wordlessly, not paying any attention to what Wilhelm was saying. Memories of Shion danced through his mind, the pain so raw that he wanted to scream from the intensity of it, but only years of discipline and iron-clad control kept him in place.

"Kevin." Distracted from his thoughts, Kevin looked up to notice that he and Wilhelm were the only ones left in the Vector CEO's office.

"Master Wilhelm." He bowed stiffly. "I apologize for my behavior earlier."

"It's alright." Wilhelm answered. "I know of your feelings for her. Had I been in your position, I would have acted the same way. But..." He trailed off, rising from his chair. Kevin frowned.

"But what?"

"Remove your mask." The white-haired man ordered. Kevin blinked, taken aback.

"Sir?"

"Take it off." Puzzled, Kevin obeyed. A smile crossed Wilhelm's face, and he looked past Kevin to the shadows.

"You may come out now." A small figure clad in a forest-green cloak materialized from the darkness and walked silently towards Kevin. Stopping several feet away, it lifted its hands to the mask on its face and removed it...Kevin felt his heart stop, his mask slipping from his suddenly nerveless fingers...

"No..." Shion smiled at him, her green eyes vibrant and full of life.

"Kevin." The blue-haired man didn't reply, but found himself stepping forward, his arms wrapping around her slender form, feeling the warmth of her body...Realization sank in, and he gripped her tightly.

_She's...she's alive!_ "Oh God..." His voice choked, as his hands moved under her hood to feel the silky locks of her brown hair, to frame the face that had never left his dreams...his heart... "How..."

"Me." Kevin turned to see Wilhelm fold his arms. "She will be with us until things are safe for her to return to her friends." Kevin didn't reply, but held Shion tighter, wordless for the joy that was washing through him.

"I..." Wilhelm shook his head.

"No thanks are necessary. I have a meeting now with some stockholders, so you two may feel free to spend some time alone together." Kevin nodded, pressing a kiss to Shion's forehead. Smiling, he watched Kevin disappear with the brunette, leaving him alone in the office.

_And so things are in order once more... _Of course, there was the question of what would happen once things were safe for Shion to return to her friends...but it really wasn't a question. After all, memory wipes were extremely useful...it had worked on Jan Sauer quite well, hadn't it?


End file.
